In 1982, Malian singer-songwriter and guitarist Ali Farka Touré, then still early in his recording career, teamed up with the brilliant percussionist Hama Sankare. Together, based out of Ali’s hometown of Niafunké, they travelled northern Mali, honing a collection of new songs. When they were ready to record, they followed the river Niger through the desert to the capital, Bamako. In one afternoon, these eight superb performances were recorded on two microphones: two voices so close they were believed to be doubles, one guitar and Hama’s calabash percussion making its first appearance on record. The album, which includes some of Touré’s most loved songs, was released with no liner notes, just an enigmatic band photo on the cover. It became known as the “Red” album due to the colour of its original cover. This was the start of Ali’s incredibly successful international career, which took him to all four corners of the world and resulted in the release of eight acclaimed albums, including three GRAMMY-winning collaborations, with Ry Cooder (Talking Timbuktu) and Toumani Diabaté (Ali & Toumani; In The Heart of the Moon).
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